Lumber in My Minivan

2018

What’s New With Lumber in My Minivan?

October 12, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

It’s been a good month since I’ve posted anything- I want to get back into a regular schedule but since school started back, things are super hectic. I did want to take some time to update everyone and let you all know what’s new in our neck of the woods.

Mr. Lumber and I are doing well. His job is keeping him busy and my job is keeping me busy. We are making an effort to spend more time with our girls and with one another. We are also trying to check off all those house projects I want to do 😃

This kid. She keeps us busy. She is now a sassy eight year old third grader and has switched from gymnastics to dance. She is currently taking acrobatics and hip hop and has her first competition next month. She is beautiful, talented and has a compassionate heart.

This little lady is getting ready to turn four. She’s sassy, mischievous and makes us laugh on a regular basis. She’s sweet and cuddly and she is full of fun and laughter. She herself is taking dance and is loving it!

Our sweet Bear is turning 13 this fall. He is doing well for his age, but our vet says he is going blind and developing arthritis in his hips. He is still his sweet dispositioned self despite his age.

Annie Sue is getting older too. She is now 14, and healthy despite her age. She has slowed down a lot but is doing well .

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my girls got a little gray kitten this summer. Daisy Mae is sweet but mischievous, and she fits into our family quite well.

We are currently working on a number of projects, both inside and outside our home. We most recently cleaned out some overgrowth on our property and began cleaning out various flower beds for spring. At the moment, we are decorating our back porch and redecorating our living room. We have some major projects up ahead as well.

Thanks for sticking with us! More to come soon!

2018, closet organization, closets, closet organization, kids rooms, DIY, getting organized, organize, organizing, organizing tips, simplify, simplifying life

The Benefits of Living with Less…and why you should purge your house right now!

September 25, 2019September 25, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

RIGHT Now. Drop everything and PURGE YOUR HOME NOW! No, I’m kidding. Sort of.

I know you read a lot about purging your home on my blog. Some of you are probably fans of living with less already, while others of you are scratching your heads and wondering how much more stuff I can get rid of and blog about it. #istillhavetoomuchstuff

I am currently in the midst of a whole house purge, but we will talk more about that later.

The truth is, living with less has a lot of benefits. Some are health benefits, some are financial benefits, and some are so good they don’t fit into any category. I’d like to share a few of those with you today, as well as some great advice for purging your home that I’ve collected over the years.

1. Living with less can be beneficial to your mental and physical health

Living with too much causes your house to feel cluttered. A cluttered house feels chaotic, and makes it hard for you to relax and destress. Continued stress affects your mental state, as well as your physical health. An organized and clean home evokes a peaceful feeling, and who doesn’t want to feel at peace in their own home?
This one is especially true if you have kids. More stuff=fewer places to put things away. Stuff that is left out in the floor becomes a trip hazard. Show of hands: who else has fallen over items left in the floor, or stepped on some hard plastic toy with your bare feet? (Lego moms, can I get an “amen?” )

2. Living with less makes your home feel and appear cleaner

Living with too much makes it harder to find places to put things away. Having nowhere to put things causes your home to look and feel cluttered (see above).
A cluttered house also seems dirty even if it really isn’t. Having less stuff and less clutter makes your house look and feel cleaner.

3. Living with less saves time

How does living with less save time? It means that you spend less time looking for things. It’s been said that the average person spends four years of their life looking for things that they are missing. Not being able to find your missing items makes you stressed. Having less stuff means that you don’t have to sort through so much when you need something.

5. Living with less saves you money

How is this? Well, when you make a conscious effort to live with less, you are much more intentional with your spending. Additionally, who here has ever bought something, only to realize you already had that same item at home? Living with less makes it easier to distinguish what you need- therefore keeping you from spending money on something you already have.

There are many benefits to having an organized and simplified home, with less stuff. Start with one room at a time and keep only what you need- donate, recycle or throw away the rest. I know many people who wish their home was less cluttered, but I don’t know anyone who wishes their home was MORE cluttered. Start today and you’ll soon see the benefits.

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Coming soon: Characteristics of an organized home

2019, budget decorating, cheap decorating, decor, decor tips and tricks, entry way, fall, outdoor spaces, outdoors, porches, room refreshers, seasonal, seasonal decor

Back porch rehab: a mood board and a plan

September 18, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

Spaces

We have a wonderful covered back porch, but it’s a bit lacking in decor and comfort.

The space itself is great, but it’s bland and underused.

And I know what you’re thinking. Summer is over- why worry about sitting on the porch now?

We live in Central North Carolina, and it’s so hot here in the summer we can’t stand to sit on the porch. Even if it’s covered. Even if it has a ceiling fan- which ours doesn’t.

I’d love to make this a cozy little sitting space, kind of like an outdoor living room. I’ve got so many good ideas of what I’d like to do. Take a look at my ideas and the inspiration I’ve pulled from Pinterest! Here’s what I think our porch really needs:

A ceiling fan

The porch in this photo reminds me of a nicer version of my own porch. The spaces are similar. I love that ceiling fan because it’s decorative, and because I definitely don’t love our hot, humid weather.

2. Porch rug and a coffee table

c3d1424f51d43b3ff246d65a14e173e2 — Source

I just love the porch furniture, the colors, and the general coziness of Suzy’s porch over at Worthing Court. It’s lovely- I just wanna sit there and drink my tea.

3. Pillows or cushions

See the picture above. Cushions and pillows make any porch seem cozy and inviting.

4. Soft lighting for fun and for evenings

I realize this is a Christmas photo, but I love the soft lighting from the string lights. String lights are also just a very cool look.

5. citronella candles

How to Make Citronella Candles_ Easy and Fast DIY — Source

The mosquitoes in North Carolina are world-famous. They’re mean and they will get you. And since you’re well aware of my fondness for mason jars, I thought I’d try my hand at making a few of these citronella candle jars.

6. a new porch lantern

Our puny, builder grade light fixture was broken in one of the hurricanes last year and we haven’t replaced it yet. I’d love this barn light lantern on our back porch. It’s such a cool look.

7. different wreaths

There is nothing wrong with the wreaths I made, but I think they’re a little puny. This wreath is fuller and the colors are better and I think it’d look great on my doors.

We are actively working on making the porch cozier and better right now. I can’t wait to share it with you next month!

2019, DIY, Dollar Store crafts, Dollar Store Upcycles, fall, floral, New uses for old things, pool noodle, seasonal, Seasonal art, seasonal decor, upcycle, wreath

A super simple fall wreath…and it’s made from a pool noodle!!

September 10, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

I just made a super cute, super simple fall wreath for my back door, and I made it using items from the Dollar Tree. Even my wreath form, which is nothing other than a POOL NOODLE!

I simply bent the ends together, hot glued the ends together, and wrapped a bit of duct tape around the joint to hold it together.

I then completely wrapped the wreath frame in burlap ribbon, hot gluing it as I wrapped each piece. I used about 4 rolls of ribbon and several glue sticks.

I then affixed a pipe cleaner to the back of the wreath as a hanger, and then affixed the flowers to my wreath form.

I am terrible at making bows, so my aunt made one for me. I then attached my bow to the wreath and hung it on my porch.

Not too bad for a $12 wreath 🙂

2019, budget decorating, burlap, cheap decorating, decor, decor tips and tricks, decorating tips, Dollar Store crafts, fall, farmhouse decor, farmhouse style, pumpkin, seasonal, seasonal decor, shopping guides, thrifty decor

Fabulous Fall Finds at Dollar General

September 2, 2019by LumberInMyMiniVanLeave a Comment

I have been itching to decorate for fall lately, and now that it’s finally September, I just might. Have you all been to Dollar General recently? They have so many beautiful fall things and for such awesome prices! There were many things I wanted to buy and I still may go back and buy them later.

This comfy fall throw is soft and I love the colors. This muted gray would be beautiful thrown over my couch.

This pretty tea towel would look great in a kitchen or a bathroom.

These cute little fall bowls are reminiscent of Rae Dunn and I am seriously considering going back and buying about six of them.

I want this cute little sign so bad. My aunt was with me at the DG and she talked about buying this and putting it in the center of a deco mesh wreath, which would be really pretty.